Posted on: Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Maui asked to watch for grounded seabirds

Advertiser Staff

HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK, Maui — Wildlife officials are asking Maui residents to keep an eye out for young seabirds that may become grounded after leaving their nests.

Every October and November, fledgling 'ua'u, or dark-rumped petrel, and 'ua'u kani, or wedgetailed shearwater, leave their burrows and fly out to sea where they spend most of their lives.

The birds, which are believed to navigate by starlight, sometimes become disoriented by hotel, golf course and stadium lights and landscaping floodlights, and may fly in circles around the lights before tiring and falling to the ground.

The seabirds are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The endangered 'ua'u is black and white with black webbed feet. The bird, which measures 16 inches from beak to tail and has a wingspan of about 3 feet, is found only in Hawai'i, with 90 percent of the population nesting on the slopes within Haleakala National Park.

The gray-and-white 'ua'u kani has pink webbed feet and is 17 inches long with a 38-inch wingspan.

They nest at lower elevations on banks and cliffs near the shore with numerous colonies along coastal areas of Maui and on offshore islands.

The 'ua'u population is estimated at 2,000. The 'ua'u kani population is unknown, but is much larger.

Officials said that if a grounded seabird is found, it should be protected from predators, placed in a covered box and kept in a cool place.

Call the park's resources management cell phone anytime at (808) 264-5317 or the state wildlife division at (808) 984-8100 during business hours.

Do not to release the seabird, officials said. Trained wildlife specialists will inspect the bird for injuries and release it safely.

For details, call wildlife biologist Cathleen Natividad Bailey at (808) 572-4491.